Self-medication for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 like illness in Nampula City, Mozambique

Authors

  • Gerson Afai Mozambique Field Epidemiology Programm - FETP
  • Abacar Nampula Provincial Health Directorate, Nampula, Mozambique
  • Auria Ribeiro Banze
  • Erika Valeska Rossetto MassGenics assigned to Mozambique Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maputo, Mozambique

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31005/iajmh.v7i.243

Keywords:

COVID-19, Public health surveillance, Self-medication, Mozambique

Abstract

Medicines are an essential part of healthcare for maintaining life, but the lack of knowledge about the self-medication risks, and the health facility wait time can influence self-medication.

As part of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance efforts, we used a semi-structured questionnaire of closed questions to conducted interviews in five pharmacies in Nampula City about self-medication increase, in June 2020, during the emergency of COVID-19. From March to June 2020, most of interviewed pharmacies (3/5) verified an increase in self-medication. The most common medicines bought by the costumers were anti-flu (4/5) and antibiotics (3/5). People who self-medicated reported flu-like-symptoms (5/5) and cough (4/5). We recommend pharmacies to refer people who were seeking to self-medicate and who presented COVID-19-like signs and symptoms to the health facility for testing.

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Published

2024-06-24

How to Cite

Afai, G., Gelane, A. ., Banze, A. R., & Rossetto, E. V. (2024). Self-medication for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 like illness in Nampula City, Mozambique. InterAmerican Journal of Medicine and Health, 7. https://doi.org/10.31005/iajmh.v7i.243

Issue

Section

Original Articles